What the heck is going on!!

[Jens_01]

Ladies, some advice please. So for a few weeks I was able to catch my lo at 27 min into her nap and pat her for 20+ min into the next sleep cycle. Since Friday she has been waking and stirring at random times. I can't catch her. And she doesn't wiggle like she did to let me know she was on the verge of waking. She goes from snoring to awake in seconds. What is going on? Is this just a phase? What can I do to help her stay asleep?  She is 5 months (but was 3 weeks premature) with a 2 hr A time.

[vadensmommy]

Hey Jens!
Without seeing your whole day, it's hard to know exactly what's going on.  Can you post a typical day in the EASY format?

Before seeing your EASY, the only thing I can say is that 30min naps typically mean a baby is OT, however 2hrs of A time is on the low side for most 5mo.  Of course given that she was premature, this may or may not affect her now.  In the early days, it's a lot more important how early they were, but as they age, it makes less of a difference from what I've seen with moms of other premies.  I don't have any personal experience with early babies, as mine were 1wk late and 1wk early respectively!

30min naps can also mean overstimulation.  What are her A times like?  How does she go to sleep - is she falling asleep independently?  Use a paci?

[Papaya]

Yes, please post your EASY! I remember you were increasing A times a few weeks ago - did you find an A time that gave you better naps then?

BTW, I have just seen your thread from a few days ago, and am so sorry we missed it then Hope we can help now.

[Jens_01]

Generally her EASY looks like this.

7 wake up (generally bf)
8 cereal
9 nap
10 ish up (sometimes 10:30 more often 9:30/9:45)
12 Nap (mostly a 30-45 min)
12:45 up
3 ish nap (always a short 30 min)
3:30 up
5 cereal
5:30/6 cat nap
7 bedtime routine and down by 8.

Bf every 3-3:30 hrs

A time activities
Playmat, tummy time, exersaucer, bouncy chair, dancing, singing, reading. Not all at once and I do the higher activity ones upon waking and try to wind down as A time progresses.

[Papaya]

How does she wake from the naps - is she happy enough? If she's been on the same A time for several weeks, and her nights are good, my first thought would be that she needs a slight A increase. So the first short nap is UT (typically around 40-60 mins), but she then can't handle a full A time so subsequent naps are OT (typically 30 mins).

I would try pushing the morning A by 10 mins for several days and see how you go. If the first nap is good, try the same A again, if not reduce the A a little to avoid OT. Your LO may also like slightly different A times throughout the day, so it can take a bit of experimentation to find the right fit. Mine liked a short first A, longest middle A, and last A somewhere in between  

Just one other thought: have you noticed any difference in her behaviour during the day? You must be just about due for Wonder Week 19 (adjusted age) which can also disrupt sleep.